ABSTRACT
The teaching profession of England and Wales has always suffered under the handicap of having first- and second-class members. The status has nothing to do with professional competence and expertise but depends entirely on the routes by which the teachers reach the profession and the qualifications with which they enter it. First-class membership is given to university graduates and until only very recently the degree was such a talisman that subsequent professional training was not a requirement. The second-class members are the non-graduates qualified by the award of the Certificate of Education after study in a college of education. While in theory equality of professional opportunity exists, in practice it does not. Professionally the race is to the graduate.
